A Bittersweet Spell: A Novel

Summary

A cursed manuscript. An old betrayal. A second chance at love. Magic, secrets, and longing collide in this sweeping, beautiful fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals and Wild Reverence.
Lorne St. Clair has spent years hiding from his shadowy past, content to curate magical antiques in his quiet shoppe. But when a mysterious note arrives demanding he transcribe an enchanted manuscript—written in an ink only rare mages can read—his carefully guarded secrets are threatened. Refuse, and the truth about his past will be exposed.

Lorne knows one mage capable of reading the manuscript… But Avalene Vale was declared dead ten years ago.

In truth, she’s been hiding on the kingdom’s outskirts, her once-brilliant academic future stolen the night Lorne put a knife to her throat and begged her to flee. When he finds her again, asking for her help, Avalene knows she shouldn’t trust him. But enchanted manuscripts are impossibly rare, and once she begins translating, she’s drawn into the manuscript’s haunting magic—and the beautiful, dangerous story woven into its spells.

As buried truths resurface and the past tightens its hold, Lorne and Avalene must reckon with what they once were—and what they might become. What unfolds is a multi-layered, enchanting tale of glittering magic, powerful books, passionate love—and the fragile hope of second chances.